Development and external validation of the SMASHERS risk prediction model for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage in the general population: a population-based prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (ASAH) is a severe stroke type, preventable by screening for intracranial aneurysms followed by treatment in high-risk individuals. We aimed to develop and validate a risk prediction model for ASAH in the general population to identify high-risk individuals.

Design: We used the population-based prospective cohort studies of the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank for model development and the Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study for model validation.

Effect of physical exercise on white matter microstructure in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial (PAM study).

Physical exercise is a promising intervention to improve brain white matter integrity. In the PAM study, exercise intervention effects on white matter integrity were investigated in breast cancer patients. Chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients with cognitive problems were randomized 2-4 years post-diagnosis to an exercise (n = 91) or control group (n = 90).

Psychosocial and cognitive determinants of 10-year depressive symptom trajectories in patients with cardiovascular disease: The SMART-Medea Study.

Background: Middle-aged and older adults presenting clinically relevant depressive symptoms are often undiagnosed. Understanding the determinants of late-life depressive symptoms could improve prognosis. Further, individuals with manifest cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at an increased risk of depression.

Clusters of parental socioeconomic status in early childhood and inherited risk for cerebrovascular disease until mid-life-Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

Background And Aims: The incidence of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is rising among young adults (< 55 years). The risk for CVD starts to form in early childhood and is comprised of genetic and environmental risk factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between early family socioeconomic status (SES), inherited risk, and CVD until midlife.

Prediction of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in comparison with other stroke types using routine care data.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) can be prevented by early detection and treatment of intracranial aneurysms in high-risk individuals. We investigated whether individuals at high risk of aSAH in the general population can be identified by developing an aSAH prediction model with electronic health records (EHR) data. To assess the aSAH model's relative performance, we additionally developed prediction models for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and compared the discriminative performance of the models.

Depressive Symptoms and Plasma Markers of Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration: A Coordinated Meta-Analysis of 8 Cohort Studies.

Background: Depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There has been a recent emergence in plasma biomarkers for AD pathophysiology, such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), as well as for axonal damage (neurofilament light, NfL) and astrocytic activation (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP). Hypothesizing that depressive symptoms may occur along the AD process, we investigated associations between plasma biomarkers of AD with depressive symptoms in individuals without dementia.

Sex differences in modifiable risk factors for stroke incidence and recurrence: the UCC-SMART study.

Background And Purpose: Risk factors for stroke differ between women and men in general populations. However, little is known about sex differences in secondary prevention. We investigated if sex interacted with modifiable risk factors for stroke in a large arterial disease cohort.

Imaging of intracranial arterial disease: a comparison between MRI and unenhanced CT.

Background And Purpose: Arterial calcifications on unenhanced CT scans and vessel wall lesions on MRI are often used interchangeably to portray intracranial arterial disease. However, the extent of pathology depicted with each technique is unclear. We investigated the presence and distribution of these two imaging findings in patients with a history of cerebrovascular disease.

Plasma Markers of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology, Neuronal Injury, and Astrocytic Activation and MRI Load of Vascular Pathology and Neurodegeneration: The SMART-MR Study.

Background: Two of the main causes for dementia are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular pathology, with most patients showing mixed pathology. Plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease-related pathology have recently emerged, including Aβ (amyloid-beta), p-tau (phosphorylated tau), NfL (neurofilament light), and GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein). There is a current gap in the literature regarding whether there is an association between these plasma biomarkers with vascular pathology and neurodegeneration.

Risk Factors for Medial and Intimal Intracranial Internal Carotid Artery Calcification in Men and Women with Cardiovascular Disease: The UCC-SMART Study.

Introduction: Calcifications of the intracranial internal carotid artery (iICA) can lead to an increased risk for stroke. Two types of iICA calcification are known: those affecting the tunica intima or the tunica media. In extracranial arteries, risk factors and calcification patterns are different in women and men, but little is known regarding the iICA.

Microvascular Dysfunction and Whole-Brain White Matter Connectivity: The Maastricht Study.

Background: Microvascular dysfunction is involved in the development of various cerebral disorders. It may contribute to these disorders by disrupting white matter tracts and altering brain connectivity, but evidence is scarce. We investigated the association between multiple biomarkers of microvascular function and whole-brain white matter connectivity.

Association of amyloid-beta with depression or depressive symptoms in older adults without dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Several lines of evidence have indicated that depression might be a prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the cross-sectional association between amyloid-beta, one of the key pathologies defining AD, and depression or depressive symptoms in older adults without dementia. A systematic search in PubMed yielded 689 peer-reviewed articles.

Performance of a Diagnostic Model for the Presence of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in the General Population.

Introduction: The prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in the general population is 3%. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage can be prevented by screening for UIAs followed by monitoring and, if needed, preventive neurosurgical or endovascular treatment of identified UIAs. Therefore, we developed a diagnostic model for the presence of UIAs in the general population to help identify persons at high risk of having UIAs.

Effect of Physical Exercise on MRI-Assessed Brain Perfusion in Chemotherapy-Treated Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Exercise is a promising intervention to alleviate cognitive problems in breast cancer patients, but studies on mechanisms underlying these effects are lacking.

Purpose: Investigating whether an exercise intervention can affect cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cognitively impaired breast cancer patients and to determine if CBF changes relate to memory function.

Study Type: Prospective.

Dementia prediction in the general population using clinically accessible variables: a proof-of-concept study using machine learning. The AGES-Reykjavik study.

Background: Early identification of dementia is crucial for prompt intervention for high-risk individuals in the general population. External validation studies on prognostic models for dementia have highlighted the need for updated models. The use of machine learning in dementia prediction is in its infancy and may improve predictive performance.